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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — to visit
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stock — goods
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pop — soda
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — a practice
  20. firm — decided
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com